Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) has reformulated the beer, giving it a smoother taste, and changed the container from a brown glass to a clear bottle.
The logo and on-pack graphics have also been updated with a contemporary look.
Anchor's relaunch is supported by a press and outdoor campaign created by Leo Burnett. Cheuk Chiang, regional account director at Leo Burnett, said APB felt the brand had a strong heritage and saw an opportunity to "inject some vibrancy into the brand".
In the '70s, Anchor was the market leader with an estimated 60 per cent share of the market. Its fortunes tumbled in the last two decades and the brand became a cheap beer for older workers.
According to Chiang, APB is targeting 20 to 26-year olds in Singapore and Malaysia as they are easier to win over. At the same time, the brewer wanted to limit cannibalising sales of its flagship Tiger Beer, which is pitched at a slightly older audience.
The three creative executions poke fun at the stresses young people face through a series of farcical situations. These include a man chatting to a 'Pamela' over the internet who turns out be a man in drag. Other executions include a young man getting busted by his parents for surfing the internet for porn and a man on a blind date.
All end with the tagline 'Life needs an Anchor' to communicate that the brand can help smoothen the stresses of life.
Chiang said TV was dropped from the mix because its reach was too broad for Anchor's narrower target base. Other activities include a viral campaign by interactive shop Galeleo, in which people receive a serial number via SMS that can be shown to bar staff at select nightspots such as Zouk and Lush for a free "teaser bottle of Anchor beer. The bottles have no labels but carry an invite to a party on August16 - Anchor's launch event.
